Cuzco is a city that is blessed with so many ancient sites. With Machu Picchu on its door step, there is much to see and do in Cuzco both in the city itself and in its surrounding country side. Definitely the most exciting spectacles of the city are connected to its Incan past. People come from all over the world to walk the 24 mile Incan Trail to the ancient mountain city of Machu Picchu. This hike takes visitors across a variety of country side and truly connects them to the region. While visiting Sacsayhuamán brings visitors, inside Cuzco itself, face to face with Inca buildings. Yet more to do in Cuzco includes:
Sacsayhuamán
Northwest of Historic Center | Cuzco
Though often over shadowed by Machu Picchu, Sacsayhuamán is well worth a visit too. An ancient Incan Towered fortress Sacsayhuamán richly displays the exquisite Incan masonry while also provided wonderful vista views over the city of Cuzco. From the onset visitors to this fortress are besieged with questions, such as how the mammoth pieces of rock were actually placed in the proper positions? Other special things to see inside the fortress include the Inca throne room, the Esplanada – which is a parade platform where revelers of the Raymi Festival of the sun gather. Nearby to Sacsayhuamán is Tambomachay, which is a spring that was the bathing ground for the Incan elite. Sacsayhuamán is approximately 2 miles northwest of Cuzco’s city center; it can be reached by a 25 minute strenuous walk from Plaza de Armas. A tourist ticket, which provides access to 15 other Cuzco attractions, costing around $48 dollars US is required to enter the site. Sacsayhuamán is open Monday through Saturday from 8 am to 6 pm.
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Cusco-Aguas Calientes Railway
The most famous hike in Peru, if not in South America, is the famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. A hearty four day hike the Inca trail will take you across miles and miles of different terrain and fantastic scenery. Travelers always rave about the wild life, the porters, the scenery, the challenge, and the cultural highlights they enjoy making the trip. Only 500 people are allowed on the Inca Travel at any one given time as to maintain it. Still though walking the trail will give you plenty of opportunity to meet other like minded travelers. Walking the Inca Trail requires trekkers to acquire a permit and to hire a licensed tour operator to lead their trip. A reputable service to use is Aventours.
Situated in the heart of what once was the land of the Incas, Cuzco is a city with much historical significance. Though perhaps the single largest reason that people visit Cuzco is to walk the Inca Trail to their famous mountain city of Machu Picchu there are many other diversions both old and new. The Inca were famously star gazers and that tradition is continued, be it in a new fashion, with the city’s planetarium. There are also several nice restaurants and bars to be visited that showcase a modern vibe to a city so filled with great monuments and sites to visit. Still more to do in Cuzco includes:
Planetarium
689 Avenida Pardo | Cuzco
Set in a non-descript building in the hills surrounding Cuzco the Planetarium saves its surprises for inside. The museum is filled with great informative exhibits as well as a fantastic telescope and different charts that detail elements of our galaxy. Many visitors praise the observatory’s quaint appearance and the wealth of information that is houses inside of it. Everyone who visits is assured a personalized experience as they learn more about our galaxy. In order to visit the Planetarium guests must reserve their spots in advance, because of limited space on the shuttles heading to it. Shuttles leave Plaza de Armas at 6 pm and return around 7:45 pm. Tours are offered each day of the planetarium at a cost of $18.50 per person.
Pre-Columbian Art Museum
231 Plaza de las Nazarenas | Cusco, Peru
A welcome addition to all of the varied Inca sites in and around Cuzco is the Pre-Columbian Art Museum, which possesses a world class collection of Peruvian art. The museum is housed in Casa Cabera which is a mansion, dating back to 1580, that has been converted into an art museum. The collection dates from 1250 BC to 1532 AD and features varied works from the Hurai, Nasca Mochica, Chancay, and Inca civilizations. The museum is located at the North East corner of Plaza de Armas and is open from 9 am to 10 pm with admission costing around $7.50 US.
Inca Museum
Cuesta del Almirante | Cusco, Peru
Located in a 16th century colonial mansion the Inca Museum provides loads of information and exhibits that will enrich visitors later experiences visiting Manch Picchu. Specifically there are rooms that showcase Inca Silver figures, music instruments, textiles, pottery, and even ancient Incan mummies. The museum goes into detail discussing how Incan day to day life took place. Outside of the museum in its court yard Andean woman actually weave authentic textiles. The Inca Museum is located close to the Pre-Columbian Art Museum in Plaza De Armas. Visitors can visit the museum between 8 am to 6 pm. Admission cost is around $3.75 US per person.
People looking for a cheaper and still lovely Mediterranean holiday would be wise to choose Croatia as a locale to visit. When in Croatia there is no better place to head to then the southern tip down to the small Mediterranean city of Dubrovnik. A picturesque town both for its lovely architecture and its stunning views over the Mediterranean Sea, including the lovely Lokrum Island, Dubrovnik offers visitors a variety of things to do. Still more to do in Dubrovnik includes:
Lokrum Island
A 10 minute boat ride from Dubrovnik is the lovely Lokrum Island. Whereas some beaches around Dubrovnik can get quite crowded on a summers day, the beaches on Lokrum are controlled by the number of people that are allowed on the island at any one time and because of that have plenty of room. If you are feeling adventurous the island even has a nude beach. There are several historical attractions as well to visit on the island including the 19th century Napoleonic Fort Royale. Views from the Fort provide fantastic visuals back over Dubrovnik’s stunning old town. A trip to Lokrum Island makes the perfect day trip from Dubrovnik and water taxis leave every half hour from Dubrovnik’s old port. Water taxis ferry back and forth at a cost of $4.75 until 8 pm each night.
Rector’s Palace
Located between Dubrovnik Cathedral and St Blaise Church, the Rector Palace can be found at the end of Stradun in the Old Town of Dubrovnik. The rector who inhabited Rector’s Palace historically lived there just for a month at a time. The Rector’s Palace operated in this fashion until 1806. In contemporary times it is open to the public to enjoy its majestic qualities. Perhaps the most heralded spot inside the palace is the internal court yard which is filled with intriguing monuments and immaculate grounds keeping. On the second floor of the palace is a museum that includes antique furniture – including an intriguing collection of old clocks – and works from local artists. The Rector’s Palace is open from 9 am to 4 pm daily and costs around $8 dollars.
Rome is a city that really has to be experienced once in your life. The saying was – “See Rome and Die!” Rome is a city that was once the centre of an empire and it shows in terms of the sheer number of monuments and attractions it has. A beautiful city on its own in terms of its architecture, this intrinsic beauty is taken to the next level when paired with buildings and sites that have been around for hundreds of years, and in some cases millennia. When a person comes to Rome they also have a chance to sample firsthand the Roman passion and the unique energy of its citizenry. Yet more to see and do in Rome includes:
Basilica di San Clemente
Via Labicana 95 | Rome
The Basilica di San Clemente is an intriguing building in the sense that it is by all accounts a church built upon a church, built upon a church, built upon a church. The first church built there was a 2nd century pagan temple, which was later built over by a 4thcentury church, which later ended up underneath a 12th century church. Visiting the Basilica gives the opportunity to see remains of all 3 previous structures. The Basilica can be found near to the Colesseo metro station and is open daily, but closed for masses, at lunch time.
Gianicolo Hill
Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi | Rome, Italy
West of the Tiber River is Gianicolo Hill which provides a great locale to look over the city and relax. Your view from the hill top will gaze over all the wealth of beauty Rome has to offer. Some of the best places to look from are near Renaissance villa, the villa Lante as well as the Piazza Garbaldi.
Campo de’ Fiori
Piazza Campo de’ Fiori | Rome
The campo De Fiori has two existences, one during the day as a bustling market place and the other as one of Rome’s most concentrated areas for nightlife. Writers say that the Campo de’ Fiori has retained the same qualities and appearance that it had back since the early 1800’s when it also was a market and a place for people to congregate. Travelers call this one of the best people watching spots in the city and a great place to get fresh veggies by day and revel in Rome’s night life as the sun sets.
Being the capital of Canada Ottawa is a city that is filled with a variety of different museums. Amongst the various museums that the city boasts are a museum of nature, war, aviation and space, and local history. Whatever your particular set of interests are there is world class museum that will cater to them. So after you have seen Parliament Hill and Rideau Canal it is time to start hitting the museums of Ottawa. If museums are a large of interest of yours you will leave Ottawa having learned a lot. Some of the various museums of Ottawa include.
Canadian Museum of Nature
240 Rue McLeod, Ottawa
The mystery of nature surrounds us each day. For those interested in looking towards it there is much intrigue and in some circumstances almost magic to be found. A trip to the Canadian Museum of Nature will help you learn more about the fantastic forces of nature that surround us – often unnoticed – daily. A great place to bring smaller children, the Museum is bright, modern and has exhibits that offer quality information for adults but that are also visually arresting enough to interest younger kids. Different exhibits will give visitors the chance to learn more about prehistoric fossils, wildlife, and insects. Other highly visited sections of the museum include the mammal gallery and the bird gallery – the latter of which has the largest collection of Canadian birds in the world. The Canadian Museum of Nature is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and costs around $10 dollars for admission.
Canadian War Museum
1 Vimy Place, Ottawa
Located on the slopes facing the Ottawa River the Canadian War Museum commemorates Canada’s various military conflicts. Wars that are remembered in varied exhibits include the Indian and French War, the war of 1812, and both World Wars. There is even a section that talks about little known victims of Canadian wars such as the thousands of interned Japanese during the Second World War. Stoic in design and somber in mood the museum does not gloss over the fact that many of the Canadian conflicts ended in tragedy. The Canadian War Museum is located just to the west of Parliament Hill and is open from 9 am to 6 pm – and 9:30 pm on weekends – at a cost of around $12 dollars.
Canada Aviation and Space Museum
11 Aviation Parkway | Ottawa, ON
The Canada Aviation and Space Museum houses Canada’s largest collection of vintage air crafts. The main exhibition hall, called “Walkway of Time” follows Canadian aviation from its development at the start of the 20th century till the present day. With more than a 100 varied planes there is a range of specific examples to highlight how aviation has grown and changed over the years. The Museum is located in Ottawa’s eastern suburbs – around 5 miles from Parliament Hill and is open daily from 10 a.m until 5 p.m. at a cost of around $9 dollars.